Plotting the Neon Curves: Women Writing in Las Vegas

Spearminted, the twisted love story between a stripper and an amnesiac, is playing to a packed house at the Las Vegas Little Theatre. Nestled anxiously in the back row is Erica Griffin, the author, who says it's the first time she's seen the play performed live. Typically, she's far more involved in the process of getting one of her shows onto the stage. Erin Marie Sullivan, who plays the character Piph, is performing a strip tease on stage while women in the audience applaud and cheer her on. Some of the men are trying hard not to stare at her naked breasts; after all, this isn't really a strip club. Actors and audiences always seem to have a good time during an Erica Griffin play. But those seeking a meaningful emotional connection with fictional creations should beware: her plays are populated with psychotics, murderers and crazy people. She writes situational comedy that pushes the boundaries of the possible by using characters that live on the edge of reality. Hilarious, slightly disturbing and completely unexpected, her plays have been titillating audiences in Las Vegas for almost a decade. No doubt she'll be titillating them for years to come. Her newest play, Roles For Women, will be presented by Table 8 Productions in June as part of the Las Vegas Fringe Festival.